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Spray Foam, Spray Insulation, Expanding Foam and Foam sealant are common terms for insulation, which is sprayed into place unlike traditional sheets or rolls of insulation, which must be cut and fixed into place. It is produced from two liquid components that, when combined and sprayed, produce an expanding foam froth. This expanding foam froth then hardens within 3-5 minutes to form a rigid foam with excellent insulating properties.

What are the benefits of spray foam over other types of insulation? Well… here’s a few to start with!

Foam has a higher R-Value per inch thickness. In fact, closed cell foam has almost twice the R-Value of fiberglass or cellulose.

Buildings insulated with spray foam are more comfortable and use less energy.

Foam fills and seals gaps and cracks to provide an air seal. Fiberglass does little more than filter the air as it passes through.

Closed cell foam provides a better moisture seal than all other insulation.

Foam provides better sound deadening than fiberglass.

Foam does not attract or provide a nesting area for pest like other insulation materials.

Spray foam seals small gaps to keep out insects and other small critters.

Spray foam expands to easily fill in around other objects and completely fills oddly shaped spaces.

Closed cell foam increases the structural strength of a wall

When rising cost of energy demands insulation products that exceed traditional methods, and homeowners demand better building products for their homes, spray foam insulation is the economical energy efficient answer.

Just another expert idea from Guy Calor (The Caulk King), and Caulk Warmer!

It’s so cold, even polar bears and penguins are being kept indoors. The fiercest outbreak of arctic air in two decades is now known to all as a deadly “polar vortex” that can paralyze air travel and close roads and schools has locked almost the entire United States under subfreezing temperatures.

Forecasters said that the effects of the system, a swirling mass of North Pole air that has pushed unusually far south, would be felt by as many as 187 million people … more than half the country’s population.

This is exactly the kind of weather that makes our products so handy. For those of you still brave enough to venture into the cold to work, you are going to want to plug in your warming bags and wraps first thing in the morning… and leave them on all day at the job-site so you can get your work done quickly, efficiently, and without waste… Pro-Tip: You can even keep your lunch nice and toasty in your CaulkWarmer bag while you work through the morning!

We have a couple other good tips and tricks to keep you working through the polar vortex.

LAYERS. It is important to keep as warm and dry as possible. Having a number of thin warm layers will allow you to insulate better and lets you strip off easily if the temperature rises. Start off with thermal underwear and work your way up to you warmest winter coat. Don’t forget your hands: mittens are better than gloves and will help you prevent frostbite.

TECHNOLOGY. New technology nowadays can also help you stay warm. Hand warmers and heat packs can be purchased from any outdoor store and will help you keep toasty. You can also buy jackets with battery-powered heating systems for extra protection. Don’t forget a good pair of boots: make sure they are both waterproof and insulated to keep out the cold.

BATTERIES. For those of you that drive to work, check your car battery. Batteries that are more than three years old often can’t be jump started once they are exposed to sub zero temperatures for an extended period. So get to garage and change the battery. Stay as warm as possible while indoors: try eating soup or having a hot drink once you get inside. It’s important to keep warm and energized!

Just another expert idea for working through the Winter from Guy Calor (The Caulk King), and Caulk Warmer!

#1. Keep money in the neighborhood.
A recent study showed that locally owned, independent businesses put 70% more money back into the local community than chain stores, per square foot occupied. A space filled with a local business rather than a chain puts more dollars back in your neighborhood.

#2. Embrace what makes us different.
Every city is made up of unique neighborhoods. Where we shop, where we eat and hang out … all of it makes our neighborhoods home. Chain businesses change the character of our neighborhoods. If we wanted to live someplace that looked like everywhere else, we wouldn’t be living here.

#3. Get better service.
In a local business, you know the person behind the counter, and they know you. They have a deep understanding of the products they’re selling, and they take time to serve their customers.

#4. Create and keep good jobs.
Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally, and small businesses account for the vast majority of job growth. Locally owned businesses are far less likely to pull up stakes and move operations to another city or country, taking their jobs with them.

#5. Promote competition and diversity.
A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based on the needs of their local customers and not on a national sales plan, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.

#6. Help out the environment.
Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases, requiring less transportation, and they generally set up shop in commercial corridors rather than developing on the fringe. This means less sprawl, congestion, habitat loss, and pollution.

#7. Support community groups.
Nonprofits receive an average of 350% more support from local business owners than they do from non-locally owned businesses.

#8. Put your taxes to good use.
Local businesses in neighborhoods need comparatively less infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community.

#9. Vote with your dollars.
Studies show that if each household redirects just $100 of planned holiday spending from chain stores to locally owned merchants, the local economic impact could exceed $25 million.

#10. Invest in your own community.
As you Shop Local on Small Business Saturday this year, remember local businesses are owned by people who live here, work here, and are invested in the community with much more than just their dollars.

Please visit us, your local warming experts, at caulkwarmer.com on Small Business Saturday, the day we all Shop Small and support small businesses in the USA.

On November 30th, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, you can be a big part of making this Small Business Saturday one of the best shopping days of the year for your community, and the small businesses that make it such a great place to live.

Since the actual yield of the foam is based on many factors, you can get the best results if you control material application temperatures. Generally the spray foam canisters should be stored at room temperature and should be kept between 60-80F during use.

It is also very important that kit foam be applied in LAYERS. Consider 1 layer to be 2 cured inches or less. A layer applied too thick can cause a long cure time and poor adhesion (sagging), but more importantly it can cause combustion. When the chemicals combine at the nozzle a chemical reaction occurs that produces lots of heat. In fact, often times you can feel the heat radiate from the foam as it cures, especially in confined spaces. Because the outside of the foam cures first, the heat from the reaction still taking place inside cannot escape as easily and a thick application may trap too much heat and ignite the foam and/or the material it was applied to if combustible. Generally you should wait about 5 minutes between the application of each layer, allowing full time to cure. This is where using a Reasor Products 100 & 200 Board Foot Kit Twin Pack will save you time and money by keeping your foam at the perfect 80F between applications .

The 100 & 200 Board Foot Kit Twin pack product specifications are:

Material: Heavy Duty Nylon Shell CPAI 84

Middle: Heat Reflecting Flexible Barrier

Insulation: Closed Cell Polypropylene Inner

Lining: Nylon Velcro® Closure Handy Cord Storage Pocket

Color: Red

Maximum Temp 105°F ±

Size: 7.5” High x 27” Long

Voltage: 120 V AC – 15 Watts

*Will maintain chemical at perfect 80F

and… you can order yours today at caulkwarmer.com!

Just a few more expert ideas from Guy Calor, the Caulk King and CaulkWarmer

As the demand for eco-friendly building increases, the number of new green products available also rises. Each day thousands of tips and new energy-efficient products hit the market. Sorting through the masses is no easy task, so here are a few new trends for eco-enthusiasts to check out:

Warming Bags and Wraps

There’s nothing fun about racing the temperatures to get all your exterior sealing projects done before the frost makes it impossible to apply caulking and adhesives. This is why some energy savvy folks created warming bags and wraps to keep products warm enough to work without wasting energy. Using patented thermo-technology, these wraps and bags warm any products inside them to hold sealing materials at usable temperatures in cold weather. Uses vary from caulk, adhesives, expoxies and elasto-meric sealers and coatings, foam and much more. CaulkWarmer Warming Bags & Wraps are built to stand up to the construction environment with heavy duty waterproof nylon construction, low energy consumption, convenient access into 120V AC or 12V DC Inverter, and insulation to retain heat when unplugged. You can effeciently and effectively put an end to your cold weather job frustrations with the warming solutions you need to keep summer temps on the job all year round.

Smart plugs

This revolutionary invention measures the amount of energy used by any device that runs off an outlet. The plug called PICOwatt, reports on the electricity you are using, your high-energy times of day, and how much you are spending in total. Not only does the plug identify your peak energy consumption periods, but it also details how much you are spending when you believe you’ve turned everything “off” for the day. The power that is consumed by electrical devices after they are shut down or turned off is called “standby power.” PICOwatt measures how much you’re spending on standby power and enables you to create a profile to automatically turn off the device completely, thus eliminating frivolous spending on electricity. The best feature of the device is that it doesn’t require any additional mechanisms, such as computers and radios, to run. Tenrehte believes requiring extra equipment to run an energy management system only adds to cost, consumes additional electricity, and takes away from their bottom line: saving you money

Smart Meter appliances

A new line of environmentally-friendly appliances takes the surprise out of your energy costs. No longer do we have to wait anxiously for our monthly bill to dictate our energy usage. Now, appliances equipped with smart meters provide instant feedback on energy consumption, allowing individuals to monitor usage and make cutbacks when spending rises. Some manufactures are even rolling out “grid-aware” appliances, which have remote-controlled energy management functionality. These new appliances are more compact, lightweight and attractive as their traditional counterparts. And, with the increase in demand for energy efficient appliances, their prices continue to fall … a bonus for consumers looking to join the eco-friendly movement.

Energy management apps

It’s no surprise that the way we user our cellphones is changing. We check our email, surf the web, get directions, and find restaurants in addition to their traditional “call” and “text” features. Because we’re always on the move, we rely on our mobiles to fulfill a variety of services. The most recent developments include applications that allow smartphone users to monitor their energy usage. Several apps are available that provide users with up-to-the-minute details of their energy consumption, enable meter readings and allow individuals to manage their appliances remotely, regardless of location. Users can now check their utility bills in between games of Candy Crush.

Going “social”

Energy price and consumption is no longer a deep secret. People are actively sharing this information through Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets. This networking can help you discern your energy needs versus others. You can even seek out conservation tips and drastically slash your monthly payments. There is even a social network developed to encourage competitive green saving among users. Earth Aid turns energy savings into a game. When users cut down on their energy spending, they are rewarded with points. These points can be used to purchase a variety of well-known household items from top brands, providing even more savings for Earth Aid users!

Just a few more expert ideas from Guy Calor, the Caulk King and CaulkWarmer

The quality of a spray foam application will always be dependent on properly functioning equipment, regardless of how many years experience an applicator might have. Heated Hoses are a vital part of any spray foam equipment setup and are critical to the consistent flow of material, which translates to a uniform spray and ultimately, a better application with less waste. Heated hose lengths can be up to 400 feet long, so, it’s necessary to keep the material heated as it travels through the hose temperatures all the way out to the spray gun. Maintaining temperatures helps to ensure proper mix and ratios at the point of application.

Most all spray foam hoses are heated in order to maintain the proper chemical temperature, however spray foam heated hoses are not designed to heat the foam initially, heated hoses are only designed to maintain the heat of the foam at a specific temperature as it flows through the hose.

When left coiled, the hose can create hot spots that will cause temperature spikes which can potentially degrade the foam as it flows through the hose.

This is why you should always uncoil your foam hose before heating it.

Just another expert idea from Guy Calor, the Caulk King andCaulkWarmer

the contaminants on the surfaces of the joint (like dust, pollen, etc.)

the ability of the caulk to “wet” the surfaces of the joint for good adhesion

the ability of the caulk to properly cure and develop its ideal physical properties

Ideal Weather Conditions
Plan to caulk in ideal temperatures whenever possible. What is ideal? 50°F and rising and 90°F and falling. Be sure to pay attention to the surface temperature where you’ll be applying the caulk. It should also fall within that idea temperature range.

Wet / Snowy Conditions
If it has just rained or snowed, allow the surfaces to completely dry before caulking. Wet surfaces will make proper adhesion difficult and may inhibit proper curing of the caulk. In the same way, avoid applying caulk – even in ideal weather – if rain or snow is expected within 24 hours. If you need to get the caulking done, go ahead and do it. Just make sure to cover your work with a plastic tarp to prevent moisture from getting onto the caulk and causing it to wash out.

Weather Extremes
It is never good practice to apply caulk in extreme temperatures. Whether hot or cold, the joint will not be at its ideal size, the caulk will not cure correctly (which causes performance problems), or the caulk may develop blisters. Any weather-related problems with the caulk can be fixed fairly easily, but are also avoided altogether through simple weather watching.

Warm Dry Surfaces
Make sure the substrate is clean and dry. In cold weather a thin layer of ice can form on the substrate and if you apply caulk on top it, the water between the caulk and the substrate will prevent the caulk from adhering. You can use a hair dryer to melt the ice and warm the substrate or, even better, clean the substrate using either methyl ethyl ketone or acetone (available at home stores). This will not only get rid of the ice, but ensure the surface of the substrate is clean, so the caulk can bond tightly.

Warm the Caulking Tube
Keep your tubes of caulking warm until just before you want to use them. Even high performance cold weather caulk won’t flow smoothly or easily when it’s cold, so it won’t get right down into the joint. Of course, we think you can find the perfect warming bags for all your adhesive and sealants on the job-site here: caulkwarmer.com

Just another expert idea from Guy Calor, the Caulk King and CaulkWarmer